Dash Away Trips

A relaxing day with family. There are so many nice parks around western Washington to explore. This one is right off I5 near Smokey Point with a good size lake and a playground for kids. as I live south and my family lives north this is a great halfway meeting point for the cousins to hang out.

Woke up to an Eagle cry, opened the blinds and our outdoor cat was sleeping in a planter, which intrigued our mini bernedoodle!

Living in the PNW!

Was so nice to escape the pouring rain in western Washington for some light drizzle in Newport Wa.

The diversity of the landscape, temperature and climate throughout Washington State always amazes me.

What a cool place! The US National Whitewater Center is a man made river with plenty of outdoors activities from ropes course to zip lines and whit water rafting. We have been to Jackson Hole and some rivers in Washington, but have never had a warm river and a conveyer belt that brings you back to the beginning!

If you love adventure, this is definitely worth a visit!

What a great place to spend an anniversary!

You know it’s summer when the black eyed Susan flowers are blooming!

Washington state is truly beautiful. I am crossing over to Vashon Island this evening. Mt Rainier is out, weather is amazing!

I have to say, you have to see this for yourself. Pictures do not accurately depict the size and grandeur of these historical places. The Trevi Fountain, the coliseum, the Forum, they just look small in these photos. If you get a chance to go to Rome, take it!!

From the cacao beans to the nibs to the chocolate is a fascinating process. To be able to watch it and taste some amazing chocolate here in Italy was amazing!
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Touring Bologna and making fresh tortelloni with fresh ricotta and Parmesan stuffing. Amazing day in Bologna

Sunrise in Lucca. Totally worth getting up at 5 am to walk around on top of the city walls that are ancient and still intact. YouTube provided a great history video as we wondered around.

Cinque Terre is such a beautiful area. We made it to one of the five cities, monterosso. Felt so good to swim in the sea and enjoy some amazing weather. I really enjoyed the cute town with shops and restaurants .

Mercato Centrale in Torino is the largest open air market in Europe. It has so many different kinds of meats, fruits vegetables and clothing. The food was amazing. A must see in Italy!

Milan is beautiful. The Duomo is really a sight to see. Having only a few hours here was not enough, but was enough to enjoy the city and want to come back!

Rainier was so beautiful today! I had the luxury of taking 4 amazing women out on a hike in Rainier National Park. We were blessed with amazing weather and views of the mountain.

The PNW is truly beautiful. Watching the sunset from the top of the Majestic Inn as ferries come and go on their way to the San Juan Islands. Couldn’t have picked a better night for this.

Anacortes is a small town, but has some cute little shops and some great food. Happy Fourth of July!

Another great trail right in the middle of a city! bridle trails is a great place to get a short walk in the woods are a longer winding hike. We were to get our little dogs out for a 4 mile hike. They will sleep good tonight!

Mt Baker Adventure Weekend You have been invited to Mt Baker Adventure Weekend

Been a super busy month. This is my last weekend of weekly travel! Minneapolis seems to be where I attend weddings… but I love running the downtown river area. Always scenic and hopping to go to the Mill City museum tomorrow. Today will be a full day at Mall Of America, where my kids are above ecstatic. They had a small taste yesterday.

This is only my second time coming to Washington DC, though the first I had hurt my back and couldn’t do or see anything. It is impressive to see these massive buildings and stroll past the IRS and FBI…. I have only seen these things in the movies. Growing up on the west coast, this was just too far to go.

Here for a work conference, so not vacation, but enjoyed a nog through the “mall”

Chania is such a fascinating city with the Venetian harbor, little shops through alley ways. Our weather was not the best as you can see, but made for an exciting day! We ended the day with a great beach sunset.

Even though the weather has not been amazing, Crete has not disappointed. From pebble beaches to sandy beaches to Chania’s harbor, so beautiful.

Do I ever sit still? Probably not…. Off on a quick trip to Crete Greece with part of my family. I have tried the Moussaka and Greek salad with a large slab of feta so far. Oh, it was so good….

Last morning of this quick getaway. The wind was a little strong, but the wildflowers were out and beautiful! Another great Dash Away Trip with some great ladies!

Next trip will be in August where we will be exploring the Mt Baker area. Check out the website for details!

Even though it drizzled, it was still an amazing day!

Trip is off to a great start so far! Maryhill winery is always a great stop and the tour was great!

The spring wine tasting weekend away with some beautiful hikes in the Deschutes River valley is almost here! We have ladies ready to go. Wine glasses are made!

To end our weekend getaway, we made a stop in New Orlean’s French Quarter for some shopping and eating. A great way to end a short trip!